Share this [9]
A local branch of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) representing University of California (UC) employees is protesting against UC management's hiring Hill & Knowlton [10] to spin its labor record. The union called [11] on the university to drop the PR firm, citing John Stauber [12] and Sheldon Rampton [13]'s book, "Trust Us, We're Experts [14]," which recounted H&K's work opposing measures to reduce children's lead exposure. In a letter [15] to UC President Robert Dynes, a coalition supporting the AFSCME branch pointed out that the company had also worked for the tobacco industry [16] and "some of the worst human rights abusing states in the world." In an email to PR Week, UC spokesperson Peter Schwartz responded that H&K "has been invaluable in helping us to keep our employees and the general public educated about UC labor negotiations."
Links:
[1] http://dev.prwatch.org/users/7/bob-burton
[2] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/children
[3] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/education
[4] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/health
[5] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/human-rights
[6] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/labor
[7] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/public-relations
[8] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/tobacco
[9] http://www.addtoany.com/share_save?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fdev.prwatch.org%2Fspin%2F2007%2F08%2F6336%2Funiversity-defends-using-hill-knowlton&linkname=University%20Defends%20Using%20Hill%20%26%20Knowlton
[10] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Hill_&_Knowlton
[11] http://www.afscme3299.org/media-press-dtl.php?recordID=158
[12] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/John_Stauber
[13] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Sheldon_Rampton
[14] http://www.prwatch.org/books/experts.html
[15] http://www.afscme3299.org/documents/Hill%20&%20Knowlton%20Ltr%20to%20Pres%20Dynes.pdf
[16] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/tobacco_industry
[17] http://www.prweek.com/us/news/article/730078/AFSCME-urges-University-CA-cut-ties-Hill---Knowlton/